The Good News – that Jesus died so we might live has the power to turn our world right side up. Imagine — the creator of the universe (or multiverse!) gave everything he had for you. This is a powerful truth, which is why some people seek to distort it.
In Ephesus there are people who want to distort the Gospel. Paul calls them false teachers in his letter to Timothy (1 Tim 1:3). Paul wants Timothy to make sure there are a bunch of people (called elders) who know the true Gospel who will guard it.
So what criteria will be used to select these guardians of the true faith? Simple! They must be living a life that reflects a heart changed and motivated by the true Gospel (1 Timothy 3:1-13). Paul gives Timothy a list of behaviours that should reflect an inward change. This is not simply a list of things elders do, as they should be doing them before they are made elders. They are a list of proofs of a changed heart.
We know that elders guard the true faith, as this is what Paul asks the Elders at Ephesus to do (Acts 20:28-30).
May we all live lives that bear witness to the inner work of the one true Gospel in our hearts.
– Dave